Clutch mechanism for mine cages or lifts.



No. 653,940. Patented luly I7, I900.

R. SCHULZ. CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR MINE GAGES 0R LIFTS.

(Application filed Jan. 16, 1900.)

(No Modei.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD SCHULZ, OF HERNE, GERMANY.

CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR MINE CAGES OR LIFTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 653,940, dated July 17,1900. Application filed January 16, 1900. Serial No. 1,618. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD SCHULZ, miner, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, and a resident of Bahnhofstrasse 1-9 Home, in the Province ofVt estphalia and Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clutch Mechanisms for Mine Cages or Lifts, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in myimproved clutch mechanism.Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thesame. Fig. i is a detail end view of a central buffer. view of the same,partly in section. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a corner-pocket. Fig.7 is a perspective view of a clutch lever frame,

0 shows the shaft-timbers, and 71 shows the central guide-bars.

c is the hoisting chain or rope, connected by chains 0' withthe cage orlift. Connected with the hoisting chain or rope c by means of a shortchain c are ropes a, supporting an upper plate 1), lower plate 17, and aspring 2, compressed between the plates by the weight of the cage orlift on the central supportingbar (2, on which the cage or lift issuspended.

2' shows four separate two-armed clutch-levers whose upper ends 2"engage with the lower plate, so as to be tripped thereby when thehoisting-chain breaks and unloads the spring and whose lower beveledends normally rest on stops Z, projecting inwardly from the cageframe.The clutch-levers are pivoted to the upper bars at of the cage or liftby means of rods or shafts 1). At the four upper corners of the cage orlift are pockets 0, each containing buffers 0, of soft elastic rubber,located Fig. 5 is a detail side over the lower arms 70 of theclutch-levers and open towardthe sides of the shaft. To these pockets 0are hinged flaps 0 against which the lower arms of the clutch-levers areadapted to come in contact. The bearings of the clutch-levers are soarranged that if the hoisting chain or rope is broken their lower armsdescribe the segment of a circle upwardthat is to say, the ends of thelower arms move from underneath the pockets upward, and therefore ofcourse move outward. In consequence of this they move outside of thecage or lift.

0 shows central pockets each having hinged flaps 0 and containingbuifers 0 of soft elas tic rubber, formed with flanges 0, adapted tobear on and embrace the guide-bars 01-. Each pair of clutches arrangedon one side are connected with one another by means of a cross-barsofangle shape, the arms of which project upward diagonally from theconnecting-points. The tops of these cross-bars are adapted to bearagainst the flaps o of the central pockets.

The operation of my improved safety-clutch is as follows: If thehoisting chain or rope breaks, the spring 6 is released and presses downthe lower plate I), so that the four twoarmed clutch-levers are rocked,and the lower armsmove out of the angle-irons m of the cage or lift andplace themselves under the flaps o of the corner-pockets containing therubber buffers o. The bearings for the cushions are sloped ed at thebottom, so that there is an equal contact on the whole lower surface ofthe cushions or buffers. Simultaneously with the rocking of theclutch-levers their lower arms press up the cross-bars, the arms ofwhich come in contact with the flaps o of the central pockets 0 andpress their buffers o outwardly against the guide-bar n, so that theflanges o of the buffers embrace the cen- .t-ral bar. The guide-bars areso arranged that they offer as large a contact-surface as possible tothe central rubber buffers, and the bearing is preferably set so thatthe contact with the cushions commences at the point of rotation andincreases in front,in consequence of which an increased projection ofthe mass of the pressed buffers results. As all the pockets are onlyopen in front, it is obvious that the bufiers can only yield in thatdirection. It is also to be noted that the cornerbuffers can serve forbraking, together with the central cushions, as the rubber pressesagainst the shaft-ti mbers, or they maybe used merely as elasticbearings for the clutch-levers. As the cage or lift slides down fartherall the rubber bufiers are compressed and are pressed more and moreagainst the sides of the shaft and against the guide-bars, which causesincreased friction as the cage or lift moves downward. The centralcushions, which, as already mentioned, hold the guidebars as closely aspossible, instantly begin to produce their braking action at the leastcom pression from this part before the speed at which the cage or liftis falling has increased to any extent. When the side buffers arecompressed to their maximumpoint, the lower arms is come out of the cageor lift, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so far that they restover the ledges 7', extending across the shaft-timbers, outside of theshaft. The corner-buffers are preferably arranged so that theclutch-levers when they come into contact with the corner-buffersalready project from the cage or lift, and when these rest on the nextledge immediately bear thereon, and as the cage or lift slides fartherdown they are thrust upward. cushions are more strongly compressed, theyact as a still stronger brake on the shafttimbers.

This clutch mechanism is not only operated by the breaking of the rope,but also by its slipping or jerking, whether the cage or lift istraveling up or down.

As the rubber buffers are readily replaceable, it rests with the personin charge to see As at the same time thewhether they are renewed at theright time and do not become sufficiently worn to render them useless.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The-combination, with a cage or lift of the corner-pockets, thehinged flaps beneath the corner-pockets, the-buffers located in thecorner-pockets, and the clutch-levers, pivoted to the cage or lift, andhaving lower arms adapted to bear upwardly against the hinged flaps.

2.' The combination, with a cage or lift of the central pockets, thehinged flaps beneath the central pockets, the bufiers located in thecentral pockets, and the clutch-levers pivoted to the cage or lift,having lower arms and an angular cross-bar adapted to bear upwardlyagainst the hinged flaps.

3. The combination, with a cage or lift of the corner-pockets, thehinged flaps beneath the corner-pockets, the buffers located in thecorner-pockets,the central pockets,the hinged -fiaps beneath the centralpockets, the bulfers located in the central pockets and the clutchleverspivoted to the cage or lift having lower arms adapted to bear againstthe flaps of the corner pockets, and an angular cross -bar adapted tobear upwardly against the hinged flaps.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

RICHARD SGI-IULZ.

Witnesses:

HENRY HASPER,

WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

